Tosin Adarabioyo missed out on Pep Guardiola's first Premier League starting XI but looks likely to make a breakthrough at Manchester City sooner rather than later.

A captain of City's age group sides, Adarabioyo has impressed Guardiola enough in pre-season that the new Etihad chief feels the defender can trusted to fill for first-team absentees.

With Eliaquim Mangala not match fit after returning for pre-season late post-Euro 2016 and Nicolas Otamendi struggling with a tendon issue, Guardiola plumped Alexandr Kolarov at centre half but Adarabioyo is the next in line.

Tosin Adarabioyo is in line for his Manchester City league debut against Sunderland

The defender has impressed Pep Guardiola in pre-season and City are short at the back

The 18-year-old made his first team debut against Chelsea in the FA Cup last season

As Adarabioyo holidayed in the Algarve he couldn't of imagined his rise to prominence

Whilst the youngster, who has progressed through the ranks with City since joining aged five, is very familiar to those around the club he is not well known beyond the City Campus.

The centre-back, whose full name is Abdul-Nasir Oluwatosin Adarabioyo, has less than 11,000 Twitter followers and his bio features a phonetic guide on how to pronounce his name (Toe-sin Ada-rah-bye-yo for those covering City on commentary duty any time soon).

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A strong ball-playing centre half, the 18-year-old Mancunian signed his first professional contract with City upon turning 17 in September 2014.

Jason Wilcox appointed the then 16-year-old as Under 18s skipper as a first year scholar at the start of the 2014-15 campaign.

Against Borussia Dortmund in pre-season the City academy star was man of the match

Adarabioyo featured in every pre-season friendly with more senior players absent

TOSIN ADARABIOYO FACTFILE

Born: Manchester, England

Date of birth: September 24, 1997 (age 18)

First team appearances: 1

International: England Under 19

The previous season Adarabioyo made 17 appearances as part of the U18 squad that clinched the Premier League North Division title while also turning out seven times for the Elite Development Squad against players up to four years his senior.

An ever-present in the 2014-15 UEFA Youth League campaign, Adarabioyo was a key part of a stingy back line that conceded just four goals to help City to a 100 per cent record in the group stages.

Last season he was a regular Simon Davies' EDS side, also leading City to the FA Youth Cup where they lost to Chelsea for the second year in a row.

The defender has been a captain of City's age group sides since his first year as a scholar

Adarabioyo captained the side that lost out in last season's FA Youth Cup final to Chelsea

He made his first team debut in the Manuel Pellegrini's much maligned selection against Chelsea in the FA Cup but could be in line for a bigger role this season, especially with Kompany's injury issues not going anywhere.

Guardiola is clearly impressed. Adarabioyo played in all of City's pre-season friendlies and was named man of the match against Borussia Dortmund.

With senior players coming back Adarabioyo may still leave the club on loan this season but Guardiola has already said the youngster has the quality to challenge first-team place.

The rangy centre half has played for England's age group team from the Under 16s up

He made his debut for the Under 19s in November last year against Japan in Manchester

'I don't know what is going to happen because Vincent Kompany will come back.

'Until 31 of August, a lot of things can happen - but if you ask me today my opinion, he will be our player.

A star at the City Campus, the youngster has plenty of experience in the UEFA Youth League

'His mind is open. He listens. He trains everyday like it's the last training of his life. And I like a lot to work with these kinds of players.

'He has his whole career in front of him. Against two tough teams like Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, he played really well.'

Of Nigerian heritage, Adarabioyo has played for England from Under 16 age and earned a first cap for the England Under 19s against Japan in 2015. Unlike older brother Fisayo Adarabioyo, Tosin has turned down an approach to play for the Super Eagles and is focused on playing for the Three Lions.